1. As a school business official, what are the THREE biggest concerns you face in your job?

answered question

867

skipped question

0

ResponsePercent

ResponseCount

Communicating the budget process to stake holders

38.1%

330

Condition of the district buildings

27.1%

235

Dealing with the district’s school board

21.9%

190

Ensuring that teachers and staff are “highly qualified”

3.8%

33

Financial implications of NCLB

16.1%

140

Helping teachers and principals understand how to better allocate resources

26.3%

228

Increasing revenue for the district

46.9%

407

Making cuts in our budget

43.0%

373

Meeting Adequate Yearly Progress

5.3%

46

Rising healthcare costs

57.6%

499

Other (please specify)

9.9%

86

Page: District Resources

2. What is your total district enrollment?

answered question

749

skipped question

118

ResponseCount

749

3. Excluding expenses for school construction, debt service, and capital outlay, what were your total expenditures for the most current fiscal year for which you have data? (If you do not have the exact figure, your best estimate is sufficient.)

answered question

730

skipped question

137

ResponseCount

730

Page: Health Insurance Costs

4. How many staff/faculty (current or retired) receive health insurance through the district? (If you do not have the exact figure, your best estimate is sufficient.)

answered question

634

skipped question

233

ResponseCount

634

5. What were your total expenditures on health care and related services (such as vision, prescription drug, dental, etc.) for the most current fiscal year for which you have data? (If you do not have the exact figure, your best estimate is sufficient.)

answered question

606

skipped question

261

ResponseCount

606

6. Do your district expenditures for health care and related services include the cost of health care for retirees?

answered question

638

skipped question

229

ResponsePercent

ResponseCount

Yes

43.1%

275

No

51.3%

327

Other (please specify)

5.6%

36

Page: District Revenues

7. Consider this statement: The cost of providing health care to district employees is rising faster than my district’s revenues.

answered question

637

skipped question

230

ResponsePercent

ResponseCount

Strongly agree

65.3%

416

Agree

29.4%

187

Disagree

4.1%

26

Strongly disagree

1.3%

8

8. In the last year, did district revenues increase, decrease, or remain the same?

answered question

639

skipped question

228

ResponsePercent

ResponseCount

Increased

66.0%

422

Decreased

14.2%

91

Remained the same

19.7%

126

Page: Change in Revenues

9. By what percentage did district revenues change?

answered question

496

skipped question

371

ResponsePercent

ResponseCount

1

10.5%

52

2

16.1%

80

3

21.2%

105

4

14.7%

73

5

9.5%

47

6

5.4%

27

7

4.2%

21

8

4.8%

24

9

2.4%

12

10

6.0%

30

11

1.4%

7

12

0.4%

2

13

0.2%

1

14

0.0%

0

15

0.8%

4

16

0.6%

3

17

0.2%

1

18

0.4%

2

19

0.2%

1

20

0.2%

1

20+

0.6%

3

Page: Premium Costs

10. During the most recent renewal of your district’s health insurance plan, did district health insurance premium costs increase, decrease, or remain the same?

answered question

632

skipped question

235

ResponsePercent

ResponseCount

Increased

91.3%

577

Decreased

3.0%

19

Remained the same

5.7%

36

Page: Change in Premium Costs

11. By what percentage did health insurance premium costs change?

answered question

583

skipped question

284

ResponsePercent

ResponseCount

1

0.3%

2

2

2.6%

15

3

2.7%

16

4

2.9%

17

5

5.0%

29

6

4.5%

26

7

3.6%

21

8

7.2%

42

9

7.7%

45

10

15.1%

88

11

5.1%

30

12

11.8%

69

13

5.0%

29

14

4.3%

25

15

7.0%

41

16

2.2%

13

17

2.2%

13

18

4.3%

25

19

0.3%

2

20

1.7%

10

20+

4.3%

25

Page: Union Negotiations

12. To what extent is health insurance an issue in your district’s contract negotiations with its employees?

answered question

625

skipped question

242

ResponsePercent

ResponseCount

To a great extent

71.2%

445

Somewhat

16.6%

104

A little

4.2%

26

Not at all

8.0%

50

13. How frequently are you involved in union negotiations in your district?

answered question

627

skipped question

240

ResponsePercent

ResponseCount

Always (I am responsible for handling the negotiations)

25.4%

159

Very frequently

43.1%

270

Occasionally

12.9%

81

Rarely

2.7%

17

Very Rarely

2.6%

16

Never

13.4%

84

Page: The Effect on the District

14. During the most recent renewal of your district’s health insurance plan, did you make adjustments to the offered benefits in order to reduce costs (e.g. higher co-pay or deductible, increased employee contribution, etc.)?

answered question

609

skipped question

258

ResponsePercent

ResponseCount

Yes

58.9%

359

No

41.1%

250

15. Consider this statement: The rising cost of health care has negatively affected the ability of my district to provide academic services to students.

answered question

608

skipped question

259

ResponsePercent

ResponseCount

Strongly agree

24.5%

149

Agree

43.4%

264

Disagree

28.9%

176

Strongly disagree

3.1%

19

16. Which, if any, areas of your budget have been reduced to accommodate the rising cost of health care? (please check all that apply)

answered question

593

skipped question

274

ResponsePercent

ResponseCount

Textbook purchases

21.9%

130

Professional development for teachers

31.4%

186

Student field trips

23.9%

142

Academic after school programs

13.8%

82

Athletics

16.7%

99

The arts

12.1%

72

Teaching positions

38.4%

228

School facility maintenance

43.5%

258

Tutors

3.5%

21

Student transportation

12.5%

74

Technology

34.2%

203

Food service

2.9%

17

Risk management/safety

6.6%

39

Paraprofessionals

27.3%

162

Other

4.6%

27

No areas have been reduced due to health care costs

27.7%

164

Other (please specify)

10.3%

61

Page: Possible Solutions

17. What solutions to controlling the cost of health insurance do you (personally) feel are promising? (please check all that apply)

answered question

603

skipped question

264

ResponsePercent

ResponseCount

District wellness plans

53.2%

321

Health Savings Accounts

40.0%

241

Consumer Driven Health Plans

24.2%

146

Cost shifting to employees (higher deductibles, co-pay, etc.)

69.7%

420

Employee/management insurance committees

26.0%

157

Disease management

19.2%

116

Educating employees about benefits

51.2%

309

Using a cost reduction specialist

9.8%

59

Bidding of services

28.9%

174

Offer high-deductible health coverage

29.9%

180

Offer only state-wide provided health benefits with no local supplements

9.1%

55

Join a consortium of school districts to benefit from economies of scale

34.3%

207

Offer a set employer contribution toward employee insurance coverage allowing the employee to decide how to apply the amount

29.7%

179

Reducing health insurance coverage

13.8%

83

Reducing other employee benefits

5.1%

31

Moving to a managed care product

10.9%

66

Cafeteria plans

29.0%

175

Consider moving to a self-insurance plan

18.2%

110

Provide employee incentives not to participate in health coverage

21.2%

128

Other (please specify)

8.6%

52

18. What solutions to controlling the cost of health insurance do you feel would be given serious consideration in your district’s contract negotiations with its employees? (please check all that apply)

answered question

582

skipped question

285

ResponsePercent

ResponseCount

District wellness plans

45.0%

262

Health Savings Accounts

34.7%

202

Consumer Driven Health Plans

15.3%

89

Cost shifting to employees (higher deductibles, co-pay, etc.)

47.6%

277

Employee/management insurance committees

22.9%

133

Disease management

12.5%

73

Educating employees about benefits

43.8%

255

Using a cost reduction specialist

8.4%

49

Bidding of services

21.1%

123

Offer high-deductible health coverage

22.2%

129

Offer only state-wide provided health benefits with no local supplements

5.0%

29

Join a consortium of school districts to benefit from economies of scale

22.5%

131

Offer a set employer contribution toward employee insurance coverage allowing the employee to decide how to apply the amount

13.2%

77

Reducing health insurance coverage

12.9%

75

Reducing other employee benefits

8.1%

47

Moving to a managed care product

5.8%

34

Cafeteria plans

24.4%

142

Consider moving to a self-insurance plan

10.8%

63

Provide employee incentives not to participate in health coverage

18.6%

108

Other (please specify)

8.1%

47

19. Which ASBO International offerings are valuable in helping you continue to help bring health insurance costs under control? (please check all that apply)

answered question

565

skipped question

302

ResponsePercent

ResponseCount

Create a national dialog on the impact health insurance costs have on school budgets (press releases, grass-roots advocacy using our online Legislative Action Center)

47.4%

268

Best practices from ASBO members in School Business Affairs and/or online

68.5%

387

Professional development (workshops, audio conferences, webinars) of best practices from MEMBERS

45.5%

257

Professional development (workshops, audio conferences, webinars) of possible solutions from VENDORS

Data and talking points for use in discussions with district and community leaders about health insurance costs

52.2%

295

Other (please specify)

3.0%

17

Page: Demographics

20. Is your school/district public or private?

answered question

606

skipped question

261

ResponsePercent

ResponseCount

Public

98.5%

597

Private

1.2%

7

n/a

0.3%

2

21. What state are you from?

answered question

596

skipped question

271

ResponsePercent

ResponseCount

Alabama

0.2%

1

Alaska

1.2%

7

Arizona

2.5%

15

Arkansas

0.2%

1

California

1.3%

8

Colorado

2.5%

15

Connecticut

2.0%

12

Delaware

0.5%

3

District of Columbia

0.2%

1

Florida

1.2%

7

Georgia

0.3%

2

Hawaii

0.0%

0

Idaho

1.0%

6

Illinois

6.4%

38

Indiana

2.9%

17

Iowa

3.2%

19

Kansas

1.3%

8

Kentucky

0.5%

3

Louisiana

0.3%

2

Maine

0.7%

4

Maryland

1.5%

9

Massachusetts

3.4%

20

Michigan

5.7%

34

Minnesota

4.4%

26

Mississippi

0.2%

1

Missouri

2.7%

16

Montana

1.3%

8

Nebraska

1.7%

10

Nevada

0.3%

2

New Hampshire

1.0%

6

New Jersey

8.4%

50

New Mexico

0.2%

1

New York

9.6%

57

North Carolina

0.3%

2

North Dakota

0.2%

1

Ohio

3.7%

22

Oklahoma

1.2%

7

Oregon

2.7%

16

Pennsylvania

6.5%

39

Rhode Island

0.7%

4

South Carolina

0.5%

3

South Dakota

0.7%

4

Tennessee

0.8%

5

Texas

3.0%

18

Utah

1.0%

6

Vermont

0.3%

2

Virginia

2.5%

15

Washington

2.2%

13

West Virginia

0.0%

0

Wisconsin

4.5%

27

Wyoming

0.5%

3

Page: Results and Additional Comments

22. The results of this survey will be made available on the ASBO International Website (www.asbointl.org) in late July, but if you would like notification and a link to the results when they are available, please enter your email address below:

answered question

356

skipped question

511

ResponseCount

356

23. We welcome any additional comments you have about this survey or more generally about the issue of controlling the cost of health care in school districts. If you are willing to be contacted by ASBO International concerning this issue, please also include your name and a phone or email address at which you can be reached.